Gear Jammer

This weekend was the understated Canadian epic XC race - GearJammer.
It uses a number of Squamish's techical XC trails, even some that Shuttle companies guide as freeride trails. Pretty full on and at 47kms only 20kms shorter distance than the Test of Metal with finishing times only 15 minutes shorter than the Test.

The race starts at Alice Lake and follows the logging road to the Sorca shelter and on into Ed's bypass, Rock and Roll (the right way) into Dead End Loop, through the McIntosh Trail, into Mikes Loop and Tracks of Hell and Cliffs Corners before crossing the Mashiter Bridge.
Steep climb into Skookum, an epic singletrack climb then down into Powersmart and IMBA smart. Over George's crossing and up again before turning into Recycle, down both sections of Pseudo Tsuga to th eGaribaldi Park Road.
Over to the Ring Creek Rip and into the Powerhouse Plunge (a must for every Squamish race). BAck through the powerhouse party and into Crumpit Woods.
Into Farther Side and S$M connector, up 3 virgins (hurts now) and into 7 stitches. Summers Eve and the Bluffs are all thats left to the finish.

Superb :)

Jonny's aim was to break 3 hrs to keep him in line with my Test of Metal improvements over teh year before. Broke a powerlink at the last feed station back on after recovering whilst fixing the chain and managed to pull a 2:59:51 and took 1st in catagory!

The win also gave him a 1st in cat placing for the Hell of a series competition. A good day all in all.

A nopteworthy mention to Neal Kindrea who won the race as it was off the back of the final Canadian National Race over in the interior. He arrived hoem at 1am on race day without his bike which had been lost during his flight home so spend the next few hours getting a borrowed bike dialled in for the race.
Whistlers Matt Ryan was just 3 minutes behind Kindrea so took a well earned 2nd overall!

Squamish Toonie #1

Squamish kicked off their 2007 Toonie race season in style on Sunday with a fantastic course in the Squamish netowrk.
Starting from the Golf course, we headed up the climb to Darwin's Bridge, then climbed again up the small hill to the top of the Powerhouse Plunge. After descending the plunge (where logging work has sadly started), into crampit woods and the new Farside trail then followed the SORCA arrows to Plateau Dr. We turned right on Plateau Dr. and the course ended at the emergency access at the western end of the road.

I was given a heads up by the last rider in the train of 10 or so riders through farside, that once we hit the road, there was 200m to the finish tent. Remembering from last year that the Toonies are on a points system for the leading riders, I figured I'd do my best to get a good start to the season. Figuring on the 200m that had been called out, I dug deep and really gave'r for the last little bit.. seemingly 2000m later, the finish still wasn't in sight and I had to let the train I was leading out come past me for a bit whilst I tucked in and sucked in some air.. finally seeing the end of my pain, I managed to fin da little extra and get back some of those previously hard earned places.
Ultimately finishing 12th, I was stoked, although thought I'd either cough up a lung or my heart was about to go pop! Mark looked a little worse than I felt, but fair play to him for dragging 2.35 stickies around the course with him ;)

With a Squamish Toonie about twice as long as a Whistler Loonie, I can see why the Squamish boys are so blinking fast by the time the Test of Metal comes around!!

Great course and plenty of Whistler faces in the 78 starters.